The present invention relates in general to gasket sealing mechanisms and in particular to a structure for providing a relatively leak-proof seal at the junction between two gaskets which are disposed at an angle relative to one another.
Gaskets are well known articles which are adapted to provide a relatively leak-proof seal between two mating components of a vehicle engine or other device. Typically, the two components include respective flat surfaces which are disposed adjacent to one another during use. A gasket is interposed between the mating surfaces of the two components and compressed therebetween so as to provide a relatively leak-proof seal. Many different structures are known in the art for gaskets of this type.
In some vehicle engines and other devices, one of the components is formed from two separate pieces. These two pieces must first be sealed together to form the first component before the first and second components can be sealed together. In order to accomplish this, a first gasket is initially interposed between the two pieces. The pieces are then secured together to compress the first gasket therebetween such that a relatively leak-proof seal is provided. When secured together, the two pieces and the first gasket form the first component. Any excess material of the first gasket extending beyond the mating surface of the first component is trimmed off to form as smooth a surface as possible. A second gasket is then interposed between the mating surfaces of the first component and the second component to form a seal as described above. In devices of this type, the first gasket is usually oriented at a right angle with respect to the second gasket such that a lower edge of the first gasket abuts an upper face of the second gasket. This angled junction between the first and second gaskets has been found to be susceptible to leakage because the abutment of the first gasket with the second gasket occurs along a generally flat surface.